Trust
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: After all of the secrets and lies, who will trust them again? And can they trust each other? Set post series 5, so contains some spoilers. Abby/Connor, Abby/Matt
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: I'm posting this "work in progress" here before I post it elsewhere as its easier to keep track of. Not sure about the title, PM if you have suggestions. **

**This is set in the aftermath of series 5 - at least what I'm speculating as the series 5 finale from the various spoilers circulating. Therefore, if you don't want spoilers, don't read as some of the events referenced have been confirmed as happening or are in the very least based on my educated guesses. Abby/Connor, Abby/Matt  
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><p>There would almost certainly be some scarring the doctor had said, but Abby didn't care. She was just relieved that both of them had made it back alive. She had no idea what had happened on the other side of the anomaly that Burton had created – Connor was yet to regain consciousness, and Matt simply wasn't talking about it.<p>

She was sat on the edge of Connor's bed, a place she'd occupied for the last three days. Matt was in the bed opposite because Lester had insisted the pair of them were kept together. He said it was easier to keep tabs on who was treating them, and the fewer people that were involved the better. The causes of their condition were classified, and Abby had been briefed not to comment on the events leading up to their hospitalisation. Speculation around the hospital was that Matt and Connor were soldiers caught up in a chemical weapons test that went wrong – their burns couldn't have been caused by fire because their hair and clothes were untouched, so it had to be chemicals. Abby knew differently; their burns were caused by the sun in a world somewhere in our future; the future Matt had originally lived in and was trying to prevent.

Connor had been close to death when Matt dragged him back through the anomaly, the doctor said another ten minutes and he'd have been dead. He was suffering severe heat stroke as well as second degree burns to his face, arms and shoulders. She remembered the medics pushing her aside to insert a saline drip into his arm and attach an oxygen mask to his face before whisking him away into the back of one of the ARC's SUVs. She had turned to thank Matt for at least giving Connor a chance of survival, but he too had collapsed. Becker was at his side, yelling for a medic. All Abby could do was hope that Matt would be OK; Connor was her priority now.

Matt stirred in the bed opposite, then yelled out in pain. "Do you want the nurse?" Abby asked, concerned.

"I'm OK," he responded unconvincingly. "They'll just stick another needle in my arm, I'm beginning to feel like a pin cushion."

Abby smiled. She felt sorry for him. The only visitors he had had were Becker and Jess, and they were only brief – almost as if they were doing it out of duty and not because they were actually concerned. She glanced down at Connor and then decided to go and sit with Matt for a while – after all, he had saved Connor's life and she at least owed him a thank you. Pulling up the chair, she stroked his hair and gently kissed the top of his head.

"What was that for?"

"To say thank you for bringing Connor home safely." Abby blushed, then held Matt's hand.

"How's he doing?" Matt nodded over towards Connor. "I've heard things being said, but it seems impolite to listen too carefully."

"They're still treating him for the effects of heat stroke, although its probably a blessing he's still out of it, I think those burns will be painful."

"Tell me about it!" Matt laughed, then winced in pain.

Abby looked worried. "How are you doing? When are they going to let you go home?"

"The burns are healing and they say there shouldn't be much scarring as long as I keep applying the barrier cream and change the dressings regularly to stop infections getting into the raw skin. Unfortunately, they know I live on my own, so they won't let me out for a while yet." Abby looked puzzled. "I can't do it by myself, not properly anyway."

"Isn't there someone you could stay with? Anything would be better than having to stay in here longer than you need to."

"Who would I ask, Abby? I've lied to everyone I've met over the last 9 years; who would want me around now? I can see the looks in people's eyes – they don't trust me. Even Jess and Becker seemed guarded." Matt looked sad, the hurt in his eyes obvious.

"I trust you," Abby said firmly. "And I know Connor will too – you saved his life. If people have their doubts at the moment you can't really blame them, but they'll come around and realise that you had no choice."

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"If Connor wasn't so ill, I'd offer you a bed at ours until you were sorted." Abby could see Matt was in a great deal of discomfort, and he was being a typical man about it. If it had been a paper cut on his finger, he would have been making an incredible fuss, but a real injury that warranted proper care was dismissed. "You must be due more cream soon?"

"More prodding and poking," Matt sighed. "Sorry, just on a bit of a downer today."

"I'll say!" Abby stood up. "Look, why don't you let me do it for you? I've become a bit of an expert the last few days, they showed me how to apply it to Connor's burns for him."

Matt seemed to perk up at that suggestion. "You don't mind?"

"If the nurses'll allow it, then I don't mind. I'll try to be gentle!" She disappeared from the room for a few minutes, returning with a nurse carrying a stack of dressings and a large plastic container of the cream Matt needed to ease the pain from his burns and to protect the skin from infections. The nurse gave Abby some instructions and she nodded politely, having heard it all before. She waited until the nurse had left then perched herself on the edge of Matt's bed. "Strip!" she commanded with a grin on her face.

Matt raised his eyebrows then smiled back. "Since you asked so nicely..." He was only wearing a standard issue hospital gown anyway, so all he had to do was tug at the ties at the back and it practically fell away of its own accord. He blushed slightly and pulled his bed sheet up a little further, but then decided it was silly to be embarrassed – Abby had probably seen much more of him when he was first brought in and they'd had to cut his shirt from his body. Besides, having Abby tend to him was infinitely better than having some elderly nurse who just wanted to get it over and done with and on to her next patient.

Abby carefully peeled away the padding and bandaging over his neck and shoulders and his breath hitched. She thought she'd hurt him and apologised, then proceeded a little more tentatively. Matt's burns didn't seem as bad as Connor's, in fact there were signs in places that the skin was starting to close over and heal. In a week or so the physical wounds would be healed, but Abby knew from their chat that the emotional scars caused by the last few weeks would take much longer to heal.

She slowly worked the cream into his shoulder using her fingertips like the nurse had shown her. He felt soft and warm to her touch, and she could hear his breathing deepen. For a moment she closed her eyes and wished it was Connor she was touching. She missed him terribly; things had been strained between them for a while – she'd accused him of actually enjoying the attention creepy April was giving him, and she'd got angry with him over his seemingly blind devotion to Philip Burton. She now knew all of that was part of Burton's plan to drive a wedge between them and distance Connor from his friends and the ARC. She'd been feeling so alone these last few weeks and having physical contact with someone like this was making her heart ache for more. It would have to wait until Connor was well... If he ever woke up.

She was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts; Matt's hand was on hers, resting on his left shoulder. "You OK?" he whispered.

"I'm fine," Abby said, shaking herself. "Let's get these fresh bandages on." She began fastening the bandages over his neck and shoulders in silence, trying to shrug off her feeling of unease - Connor would wake up and he'd be driving her crazy before she knew it. She had to believe that. "Done!" she declared, and moved away. He'd nodded a silent 'thank you' and said he was going to try and get some sleep, so Abby decided she would go and find something to eat in the hospital canteen. She needed to get out of this room and clear her head.

-o-

The room was in near darkness when she returned. The nurses liked to dim the lights at night so the patients could sleep. Matt had pulled the privacy curtain around his bed and she could hear the steady, rhythmic sound of his breathing; he was sound asleep. Pulling the curtain around Connor's bed, she slipped off her boots and pulled back the sheet covering Connor's body. She was supposed to use the camp bed that the nurses had provided for her, but she hadn't even unfolded it. Instead, she slid under the sheet and curled herself next to Connor, circling her arm around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

The rise and fall of his chest and the soft sound of his breathing was usually a comfort, but not tonight. Whilst she could touch him; she craved the feel of his hands on her bare skin and his warmth surrounding her. She wanted him to hold her, stroke her hair and tell her it would all be OK like he'd done on those long hard nights when they'd been stranded millions of years from home. She couldn't hug him as tightly as she wanted; fearing she'd pull out one of the IV lines that were supplying much needed antibiotics and fluids to his tired and battered body. She couldn't even hold his hand because they'd also suffered burns of a different sort when he tried to destroy the anomaly machine to prevent Burton from using it.

"Abby?"

She lifted her head. At first she'd thought it was Connor, but the voice was more distant. It was Matt. Her cheek was wet with tears; she hadn't realised that she was crying. How loud had she been and had Matt heard her?

"Abby?" he said again, a little closer this time. When she sat up properly, she could make out his silhouette through the curtain. He was out of bed and standing just the other side of it; she'd obviously woken him from the sleep he desperately needed.

"I'm sorry," she called out, sliding herself out of the bed and peering around the curtain. She didn't see the point in trying to hide her tears from him now, and when she saw him looking so concerned she couldn't hold back anyway. Before she could argue about it, his arms folded around her trembling body and pulled her close to his chest. She melted into his embrace, letting her tears flow freely and he just held her. She felt safe and comfortable in his arms, and she realised just how much she needed this. When his fingers slid into her hair and she felt his warm breath on her face, she fought an overwhelming urge to close the gap between them and kiss him – when she thought about it later, she had no idea where that had come from and tried to dismiss it as a knee-jerk reaction to all the emotion she was letting out.

"It'll be OK, Abby," he soothed. Those were the words she needed to hear, even though it wasn't Connor saying them. "Sometimes we forget how hard stuff like this is on those waiting around for their loved one to wake up." Abby could only nod; her throat felt as if it had closed off and even trying to swallow back her tears was difficult.

They stood there for ten, maybe fifteen minutes in silence, save for the sounds of Abby's sobbing which eventually quietened. When he finally released his hold, Abby felt the loss immediately and didn't want to let go of him. He leaned forward, kissed her forehead lightly then broke their connection completely.

"Both of us should get some sleep," he whispered. "You'll be no good to Connor if you make yourself ill."

Somehow, Abby managed to find her voice and squeaked out a "thank you" and "goodnight". She watched Matt disappear through his curtain and waited until she heard the creak of his bed before she went back through Connor's curtain and climbed into bed beside him again. She felt a little more positive now; she wasn't alone.

-o-

"I thought you might like something to read," Jess said, sounding far too cheery in Abby's opinion. She placed a pile of magazines on the cabinet next to Connor's bed. Jess meant well and Abby did appreciate the fact that she'd brought her some clean clothes from the flat, but sometimes she could be a little too intense for Abby's liking. "I'll take your dirty clothes home and put them in the washing machine for you if you like."

"There's really no need, Jess, but thank you. I don't want to leave Connor for more than a few minutes until he wakes up. I don't want him to come around and think we've abandoned him."

"I like to be useful, Abby." Jess turned to Matt. "Is there anything I can get for you? I could ask Becker to..."

"The hospital has provided me with everything I need, but thanks for the thought."

Abby noted with sadness that Jess seemed unable to make eye contact with Matt, and she wondered how the rest of the staff at the ARC felt about Matt's revelations. He'd already expressed his worry that people wouldn't trust him now. It was also beginning to occur to her that there might be some that felt Connor shouldn't be trusted either – after all it was his research that led to the development of the machine that made anomalies, and it was that machine that would've destroyed the earth. Connor would probably be blaming himself too. Abby was certainly going to have her work cut out for her persuading both men that neither of them need be ashamed of what they'd done. Neither had an evil bone in their body and both had set out with the best intentions.

After Jess had left, Matt sat up in his bed. "So, is there anything worth looking at in that pile?" He nodded to the magazines. Abby picked them up and flicked through; there were a couple of Connor's Sci-Fi magazines that he'd probably left lying around the flat but the rest were Jess's magazines. Abby passed the whole lot to Matt. "Oh, goody! 'New Woman'," Matt mocked.

"Hey, you might actually learn something!" Abby teased.

"I'll have you know that I am very much in touch with my feminine side, thank you very much!" he laughed. It was nice to see him smile, Abby decided. He'd seemed very down yesterday; as had she, but their hug last night seemed to have helped both of them.

She watched Matt for a few moments with amusement. He was flipping through the pages, wide-eyed and with a hint of disbelief on his face. She should go and shower, change into some clean clothes and go and get a coffee to wake herself up properly, but she was intrigued as to whether Matt would actually read the magazine. He'd settled on an article and Abby craned her neck to try and see what it was, but he was holding the magazine at an angle that prevented her from seeing. Giving up, she grabbed her toiletry bag and towel.

She felt Matt's eyes on her as she picked out a clean t-shirt and some jeans from the bag of clothes Jess had brought in. "Abby? About last night..." he began.

"Thank you for that."

"Come and sit with me." Matt put the magazine aside and indicated the space at the side of the bed. Abby put her things down and walked over, perching herself on the edge of his bed. "Did you feel it too?" he whispered. "Something connected with us yesterday, and I know you love Connor but..."

Abby knew what he meant; she _had_ felt something now that she thought about it, but surely it was down to her feeling lonely and missing Connor? "Yes, I do love Connor, and when he's well again I'm going to work hard at mending the cracks in our relationship."

"Those cracks were caused by Burton. Now that he's out of the picture, you and Connor will be stronger than you ever were." Matt dipped his head, and Abby noticed him swallowing nervously. "I don't expect you to act on it, but I need you to know how I feel; I'm tired of hiding things."

Abby suddenly realised what he was trying to tell her, it all made sense now. When she was applying the cream to his burns yesterday he'd hitched his breath. She hadn't hurt him at all, he liked her touching him. Then their hug last night; it seemed she wasn't the only one that had to fight the urge to cross over a line. Come to think of it, it wasn't just last night she'd felt it. They'd been working together pretty closely the last couple of months; Connor had been spending more and more time on his project for Burton and she'd found herself not wanting to go home alone. Matt had been a good listener, and in return she'd felt an empathy for him once she'd worked out he was not from this time - she knew exactly how it felt to live so far from home; although he was here by choice. Abby had assumed from their discussions that he'd had feelings for Emily and that he'd had to push them aside when she decided to stay in her own time with her husband.

Maybe it was a case of her being there at the right moment when he needed it and a case of him being there when she needed it, but something hung in the air between them. The tension was so thick, Abby felt she could almost reach out and grasp it. Then it happened. Their lips crushed together and they pulled each other into a tangle of arms, sighing breathlessly into each other's mouths. His fingers threaded into her hair, and she pressed herself cautiously into his chest; fearful she'd hurt him but at the same time desperate to be closer and feel his warmth.

The tip of his tongue pressed into her lips, urging them apart so he could taste her. She responded by allowing her tongue to dance with his; her head spinning and her heart racing. It felt like an eternity since she'd been kissed like this and it felt like nothing else mattered except this moment.

The guilt only hit Abby after their lips parted. Both were breathing hard and she could feel her body tingling with arousal; she had to get out of this situation before it went any further and they'd both regret it. She turned without a word, grabbed her toiletry bag again and bolted for the door as fast as she could.

-o-

The "Family suite" in the hospital was a safe haven for patient's relatives who, like Abby, were staying at the hospital. There was a bathroom and a kitchen where they could make tea and coffee or heat up some food in the microwave, and there was a lounge area with a TV where they could just switch off for a few minutes or chat with the others for some much needed support. As Abby entered, there was a woman sat curled up on the sofa. The TV was on but she was just staring at it. Abby recognised her; they'd spoken a few days ago after the first night that Connor and Matt had been brought in. Her daughter was dying from Cancer, it would only be a matter of days they'd said.

The woman forced a smile at Abby, and Abby acknowledged with a nod. It jolted her back to reality and gave her some perspective back; things may look a little bleak right now but there were definitely worse situations to be in. There were no excuses for what she'd just done; this woman here wasn't cheating on her husband just because she felt a bit sorry for herself. It made Abby feel sick to the stomach that she'd allowed herself to be so weak – it must never happen again.

She had thought a shower would refresh her, but the sensation of the warm water on her skin only heightened her arousal. There was no way she could go back into Connor and Matt's room feeling like this, so she had to deal with it in her own way. She slid a couple of well-practised fingers into her aching core and brought about her release easily within just a couple of minutes. Her knees buckled beneath her and she was left gasping; there was no satisfaction but at least she had some relief. Straightening herself up she washed away the dirt; both the actual dirt on her body and the dirt she felt for having betrayed Connor's trust.

Cleansed and dressed in clean clothes, Abby felt ready to face Matt again. He was probably feeling as embarrassed as she was and she hoped there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them now. She went into the kitchen and turned on the kettle, ready to make herself some much needed coffee and leaned against the counter. She heard voices in the lounge and peered through the door; a nurse was talking to the woman on the sofa and then she moved towards the kitchen. "Miss Maitland?"

Abby's heart skipped a beat. "Yes?"

"Your boyfriend's starting to wake up and he's asking for you."

The coffee could wait, and any thoughts of awkwardness with Matt evaporated. There was now only one thing on Abby's mind.

-o-

"You had us worried for a while," Abby smiled, stroking Connor's cheek. He gazed up at her with his big, chocolate brown eyes.

"Sorry," he managed to rasp. He smiled and Abby leaned over and kissed him gently on his lips. It felt so good to finally feel his warmth, and when he responded by kissing her back and trying to wrap his arms around her, Abby almost melted. "Hurts," he winced.

"It's OK." Abby pulled away reluctantly. She would have to wait a little longer for the full on contact with him she craved, but that didn't matter. The main thing was that he was on the mend. The privacy curtain was still around his bed; Abby hadn't pulled it open after the doctor had examined Connor. She wanted just a few minutes alone with him so that he knew things between them were still good.

"I tried to stop him, Abby." Connor's face twisted and a tear fell down his cheek.

"You did; you and Matt. Burton's gone for good."

"If I'd known what he had planned, I would never..."

Abby put her finger to his lips. "Shh. None of that matters now. Just concentrate on what the doctor said and worry about getting well again. I want you home as soon as possible."

"Is Matt OK? The last thing I remember is..."

"He's fine, and just on the other side of that curtain. Lester insisted that you were both treated by the same doctor to keep as few people involved as possible."

Connor nodded then closed his eyes. Abby was disappointed, but the doctor had warned her that he would be very tired for a while. She felt considerably more positive than she had done earlier this morning, and the fact he was now just sleeping and not unconscious was comforting. Maybe she should call in at the ARC and update them on both Connor's and Matt's conditions? She scribbled a note for Connor, telling him where she was going and that she loved him, and tucked it into the bandage on his right hand so that he'd easily find it when he woke up.

She was relieved that Matt's curtain was also pulled around his bed; she really didn't want to face him right now and she was guessing he felt the same. Either that or he was just giving her and Connor some privacy. Glancing around the room, she then left. It would be the first time she'd left the hospital since she'd come in with Connor and Matt four nights ago and it was a huge relief.

-o-

It used to feel like a second home, but the moment she walked into the main hub of the ARC, Abby felt uneasy. There was a strange calm about the place which was unusual – normally at this time of day there would be a swarm of activity. Jess was at her usual spot, frowning at the computer screen in front of her and typing away furiously, but there was no-one else to be seen.

"Where is everyone, Jess?"

Jess swivelled around in her chair. "Oh, hi Abby! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Thought I'd come and let everyone know that Connor regained consciousness earlier."

Jess jumped out of her chair and hugged Abby. "That's brilliant news! He's going to be OK? No side effects or anything?"

Abby peeled herself out of Jess's embrace. "He'll be fine, might just have a few scars as we already knew but otherwise... Why is it so quiet in here, Jess?"

Jess lowered her voice. "We're under investigation – or at least, Matt and Connor are, and Prospero."

Abby shook her head and stared at Jess; had she just heard her correctly? Matt and Connor were under investigation? "By who?"

Before Jess could answer, Lester appeared in the doorway of his office. "The Home Office," he said. Abby looked up at him questioningly. "It's good to see you, Abby. You'd better come up and I'll update you on what's been happening here."

Abby exchanged glances with Jess, who slunk back to her chair silently. Abby slowly climbed the stairs up to Lester's office, her heart pounding and a slight feeling of nausea in her stomach. "Why are they being investigated?" she demanded as soon as he was inside.

"Take a seat, Abby," Lester sighed, his voice softening. "The Minister requested a full investigation into what happened. After the whole débâcle over Leek, there were supposed to be stricter checks on new employees, so he wants to know how the fact Philip Burton knew Helen Cutter was missed and how he and Connor were able to conduct secret research right under our noses."

"Hang on! Connor's innocent in all of this!" Abby protested. "Burton manipulated him and..."

"I'm afraid I can't discuss the details with you. It's out of my hands now. The Minister has ordered all of Burton's and Connor's computer equipment to be brought to his team for scrutiny and every piece of equipment Connor was working on as well."

"What about Matt? Surely the Minister will see that what he did actually saved the world?"

"He lied his way into the job, Abby. Every single piece of identification he presented was fake; his passport, his birth certificate... " Lester leaned back slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingertips. "If Connor and Matt weren't on sick leave, they would be suspended from duties pending the result of the inquiry."

Abby couldn't listen to any more. She stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her to make a point and then slumped against the wall. She couldn't decide if she should be angry or upset; of all the people she thought she could count on it was Lester. Why wasn't he arguing the case for Connor and Matt? He'd been there when Matt exposed Burton's project; he'd seen the photo of London lying in charred ruins that Matt had shown her weeks before, and he'd stood and watched as Connor chased Burton through the anomaly determined to try and put right what he'd done wrong.

She found herself getting into the lift to go to Connor's lab; it was almost like she was on auto-pilot. Standing in the doorway, her heart sank and she felt sick right in the pit of her stomach. Everything was gone; his computers, the various electronics and half-finished gadgets that were usually strewn about the place, his drawings and endless reams of paper with scribbled calculations on and all of his books and folders. Some of that work went back as far as the days when they were squashed in a tiny office at the Home Office. The room was an empty shell and the sound of her breathing seemed to echo around its walls.

The door to Connor's cupboard at the back of the room was slightly open, and even from the doorway Abby could see that it was empty. "Bastards!" Abby spat. That cupboard contained his personal belongings; what could they possibly hope to gain from taking his change of clothes, his ipod and... oh god, surely they hadn't? She rushed over and flung open the cupboard properly; yes they had! She'd teased him about the fact he had photos of her stuck inside the cupboard like a teenager at high school, but secretly she thought it was rather sweet. She hoped the Minister and his cronies could sleep easily at night.

Glancing at her watch, she decided she should be getting back to the hospital. It had been two hours since she'd left and Connor would probably be awake again now. How did she tell him what was happening to his beloved work? And Matt, what did she tell him as well? They both deserved to know the truth, but it would probably devastate them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: Thanks for reading so far. I did intend for this to be a straightforward threesome smutty fic, but the muses are dictating that it becomes angsty. Sorry - the muses must be obeyed right? Enjoy, and comments appreciated.**

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><p>He'd been sat in the bath for so long his skin was beginning to wrinkle but he didn't want to get out; that would mean having to face Connor and Abby. His head was full of conflicting thoughts and he wasn't ready to face up to them yet – he was emotionally exhausted and his body still didn't feel like his own.<p>

He knew Connor was awake; he'd heard the doctors and nurses making a fuss around him as they made him comfortable. He'd laid in his bed listening and was relieved that it all sounded positive – Connor would be OK in a few says once he got his strength back. Then he'd heard Abby's voice; soft and caring, and he'd tried to shut it out. He knew he shouldn't feel like this, but he was jealous. For the first time in his life, he had time to consider having a relationship with someone, but the person he wanted to be with was sat the other side of the curtain with the man she loved.

Everything he'd ever done in his life had been geared towards just one goal; preventing the destruction of the earth. As a child, he'd been kept apart from the other children – forming bonds with anyone was considered to be a bad idea. He was taught to be suspicious of everyone and everything and as a result, he'd never had a proper relationship in his life. There'd been women of course; one night stands, drunken fumbles and even a prostitute his pals in the army paid for as a birthday present, but he couldn't get attached – for the sake of the huge mission he had weighing on his shoulders. Now that he'd achieved that, he had no purpose any more. The only friends he had were the ones he had at the ARC, and even that would be debatable now that they knew he'd deceived everyone. He couldn't go back home either; it wouldn't exist now and the only family he'd had anyway had come here with him. Dipping his head sadly, Matt realised he was totally alone.

He'd started to weaken when Abby and Connor returned from the Cretaceous. He completely understood Connor's anger at being sidelined; he would have been angry too in the same situation, and he admired the strength that both of them showed. No-one was surprised that the experience had forced Connor and Abby together and he found himself envying them as he watched them around the ARC. However, as time went on and the cracks in their relationship began to show, he realised that the envy was not about him wishing he had someone too; it was about wanting Abby.

Emily had been a distraction. Perhaps under different circumstances they could have made something of the mutual attraction that was there, but she was married and belonged in another era and he had a job to do. Nothing else mattered.

He found himself drawn even closer to Abby as they worked together to try and determine what Burton was up to; he'd listened to her concerns about Connor and her conflicting emotions. It was clear she loved him though, so he'd pushed aside all feelings he had for her – until the moment they'd kissed earlier. He could still taste her on his lips now. That kiss had felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before, and she had returned it – it was there; she had feelings for him too even if she couldn't act on them. Was it possible for a woman to love two men? He wished he had more experience of these kind of things.

The bath water was cold and he shivered. He couldn't put it off any longer. He climbed out and dried himself, cursing because he'd somehow managed to get his bandages wet. Now he had to decide whether to ask a nurse to change them or ask Abby again. The only reason the nurse had allowed him to take a bath instead of having to endure another 'bed bath' was that he'd promised to be careful. He wanted to be allowed to go home and he was trying to prove to them he could take care of himself. Admitting he couldn't would be a setback; but he couldn't ask Abby to help again – not after their kiss.

He pulled on a t-shirt and some sweat pants and made his way back to the room he was sharing with Connor. Abby wasn't around, much to his relief – he could face Connor alone and build up to seeing Abby. Connor was in bed, restless and seemingly in some discomfort.

"You OK, mate?" Matt said. "Do you want me to call a nurse?"

"No, thanks. I'll be fine. Where's Abby?"

"No idea. She probably needed some fresh air, she's been here the whole time you were unconscious."

Connor nodded. Matt watched him try to sit up, then get frustrated when he couldn't.

"Let me help," Matt said, coming over to Connor's bed. He moved the pillows and used them to prop Connor up. "Better?"

"Much, thanks," Connor grinned. "Would you open that for me?" He nodded at a piece of paper tucked into the bandage on his hand. Matt unfolded it and held it up for Connor to read. "Ah, she's gone to the ARC." Matt couldn't help feeling that familiar pang of jealousy as he spotted that she'd written 'I love you' at the bottom. "I don't deserve her."

"Nonsense!" Matt perched himself on the edge of Connor's bed.

"I have been the worst boyfriend ever! These last few weeks, I've spent more time with Burton than I have her, and the time we did spent together we argued about him."

"Abby realises that it was Burton and that he was doing everything he could to try and isolate you from your friends. Once you're out of here, the two of you can talk and you'll come out of this stronger."

"I said some horrible things to her, Matt," Connor swallowed down a sob. "If I'd known why she was spending so much time you, I wouldn't have said them."

"One thing we've all learnt from this is not to keep secrets from those we care about." Matt bowed his head, his cheeks burning. He knew Connor had accused Abby of sleeping with him; she'd told him late one evening when things between her and Connor had reached their lowest point. She'd slept on his sofa that night and said she was going to break up with Connor. Matt had persuaded her to stick with him because it would all work out; but he wished he'd taken her into his bed instead.

"You had your fair share of secrets too," Connor said.

"And now they're all out in the open. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from me. Believe me Connor, it wasn't easy keeping what I knew from everyone else."

"But you told Abby, why her? Why didn't you tell Becker... or me?"

Matt felt uncomfortable. Abby had always said Connor was pretty naïve at times; would Connor be completely oblivious or did he have an inclining that he and Abby had grown close. "She guessed most of it, I just filled in a few blanks. Not much gets past her does it?"

"No. I should've listened to her right from the start. She didn't trust Burton; I think she was the only one that wasn't taken in by him."

They both sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say next. It was Connor that finally found his voice again.

"Matt," Connor took a deep breath. "I should say thank you for saving my life. You risked a lot for me and I..."

"It's OK, Connor. I lost too many friends to those creatures; I wasn't about to let another die." Matt sensed that Connor had more questions that he was desperate to get answers to, but he was tired. It would all come out eventually and both he and Abby were going to have to be ready to help Connor reconcile with himself over what he'd done.

Matt's thoughts were broken by Connor exclaiming, "Abby!" He turned, and she was stood in the doorway. Something was wrong; she looked terrible. Perhaps the sleepless nights and the worry were finally catching up on her now that she'd relaxed?

"Hey," she said, obviously forcing a smile. She glanced at Matt and her face reddened, then she sat herself on the edge of Connor's bed opposite to where Matt was sitting. "How're you feeling?" she stroked Connor's forehead and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.

"Been better!" Connor smiled. "Had a nice sleep though, and Matt and I have been chatting."

Abby looked at Matt, slightly alarmed. "I was trying to reassure him that you don't blame him for everything that's happened." Matt said. He saw the relief spread across Abby's face – did she really think he'd tell Connor what had happened between them that morning?

"How was the ARC? Is it still standing without us there?" Connor laughed. His face fell when he saw the serious look on Abby's face.

"I'll leave you two to it," Matt said, standing up.

"No, this concerns you too." Abby swallowed nervously. "Both of you are under investigation; Lester said if you weren't on sick leave you'd be suspended."

"Ah." Matt guessed something like this would happen. "I suppose they didn't take the fact I'm not what they thought I was too kindly."

"No," Abby began. "Lester went on about all your id being fake and how did that get past the so called security that was put in place."

"To be fair, I've been working on my story for thirty years – and all of the facts were the truth; it was just my date of birth I lied about." Matt tried to raise a smile, but Abby was scowling.

"They've taken all of Connor's computers and completely cleared his lab. I didn't go over to your office, Matt, or Burton's, but I suspect they're probably cleared too." She took Connor's hand and squeezed it.

"Well, that's it then isn't it," Connor said. He was trying to sound defiant but the tears welling in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "I'll lose my job again."

"Once they start digging around, they'll see the truth about what happened. You'll be vindicated and they'll reinstate you. The ARC needs your knowledge, Connor; now more than ever before," Matt said. "I'm sure their main concern will be Burton and Prospero."

Abby nodded, but didn't look convinced. "The Minister wants to know how Burton's connection with Helen Cutter was missed, and how he was able to conduct his research in the ARC undetected."

"He was able to keep it secret because I helped!" Connor cried. "I knew what he was doing and I didn't tell anyone!"

"But you didn't know exactly what he was doing. He misled you; you didn't know that he was going to cause all that destruction. If anyone is going to be in trouble for with-holding information, it'll be me... and Abby." Matt looked at her and saw the realisation in her face. They were all involved and there could be consequences for all three of them. "I dragged you into this, Abby, I'm sorry. I should have done this alone as I planned all along."

"I wanted to help, Matt. You wouldn't have been able to stop me if you'd tried, and besides; you'd never have got access to Prospero's lab if I hadn't..." She stopped.

"If you hadn't what, Abby?" Connor said.

Abby sighed. "I viewed CCTV footage of you to get your entry passcode."

Connor pulled away from Abby's hand; the hurt obvious in his face. "You spied on me, Abby? The one person I thought I could trust..."

"Mate, it wasn't like that..." Matt began.

"Trust?" Abby spat. "If you trusted me then why did I have to go behind your back in the first place? You would've told me what you were doing." She stood up and turned to leave, but she seemed to flounder and didn't know where to go. Matt placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sit down, Abby. Arguing over old ground is not going to help any of us. The important thing now is that its all out in the open and we can move forward."

Connor pulled at the pillows that were propping him up and turned his back to both Abby and Matt. "I'm tired," he announced. It was clear Connor did not want to discuss this; Matt didn't blame him really – he'd been close to death's door and was still trying to get his head around everything that had happened. He glanced at Abby; she was putting up her protective barriers, folded arms, defiant gaze, lips pulled tight.

"Abby, come on. Let Connor get some more rest and we can talk about all of this later." He put his hand on her shoulder again and for a moment there was a flicker of something in her eyes before she pulled away. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest too? You've had a difficult few days. Things will seem clearer when we've all had time to recover properly." He expected Abby to put up a fight, but she just sighed and moved towards the door.

"You're right. A night in my own bed away from... Yeah, I need to clear my head so I can understand what's going on."

Matt watched her leave then remained staring into the empty space she left behind. How were they all going to get back to normal after this?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: Well, this is going in a completely different direction to where I originally intended! The muses are fickle beings. Thanks to Wilemina for helping me rescue this chapter**

* * *

><p>Abby sat outside the office, swinging her legs and drumming her fingers on the edge of the chair. It reminded her of being 13 years old and waiting outside the Headmaster's office to be punished. That was a pretty regular occurrence back then; she was always getting herself into trouble at school for one reason or another. She'd stopped caring after a while; no-one at home bothered whether she was in detention or not so why should she be bothered. Today was different though. She did care about what was about to happen; this could mean Connor and Matt would stay at the ARC or that they'd be forced to leave. Her testimonial was crucial.<p>

Connor was still considered too ill to be allowed to attend the hearing, but the hospital had allowed Matt to leave for a few hours as long as he returned later. Because the doctors didn't actually know what had caused his burns, they were reluctant to completely discharge him, but at the same time they knew they couldn't make him stay in bed all day. He was inside the office now; giving his side of the story and pleading his case. Abby didn't envy him at all; he was probably in the worse situation of the three of them. She hoped they would listen to him and understand why he did things they way he had. Like Connor, he didn't have a malicious bone in his body, and the ARC had benefited enormously from his leadership style. Surely that would count for something?

Jess wandered past again and asked Abby for the third time in the space of 45 minutes if she needed a coffee or anything. Abby shook her head politely and bit her tongue – snapping at Jess was not going to help but coffee was the last thing Abby needed right now. All she wanted was for things to go back to how they were before Philip Burton had taken Connor under his wing. They used to share everything after the Cretaceous; having secrets did not sit easy with her.

The door of the office opened, and Matt came out. Abby tried to read his expression to see how his interview had gone, but he gave nothing away. Matt was a master at disguising how he felt; it served him well when facing the enemy but in terms of relationships with people it was un-nerving. When the door closed, Abby coughed to try and get his attention. He turned and gave her a smile.

"Didn't see you there, Abby. I guess you're in next?"

Abby nodded. "How did it go?"

"Hard to say. I think they're just information gathering at the moment." He sat down on the chair directly facing her. "You'll be OK, just tell them the truth. That's all that matters now."

"I know, but I'm scared. This whole thing could be the ending of more than just our work at the ARC." Her words felt like they were choking her.

"You and Connor will be OK. You survived a year in the ancient past facing more deadly predators than Philip Burton; this is just a setback." He moved from his seat and knelt in front of her, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"But that was before..." She stopped.

"Before what, Abby?"

Before she could reply, the door to the office opened and a woman in a dark suit appeared. "Miss Maitland? The Minister is ready for you now."

Abby sighed and stood up, smoothing her clothes down and glancing anxiously at Matt. "Good luck," he said softly. "Just tell the truth. I'll catch you later at the hospital."

With a deep breath, Abby stepped into the office.

-o-

She'd tried hard not to cry; not in front of the Minister and his cronies, but the more they pushed the harder it got to hold back.

The panel consisted of the Minister – a formidable looking man, greying beard and expensive suit, and two other men who resembled weasels. They had questioned her on every intimate detail – how well did she know Connor? Had he given any indication of what Burton was up to? Did she think Connor had malicious intent? They had even suggested that perhaps there had been some kind of deal with Helen Cutter when they all went through the anomaly – why was Connor so intent on carrying on Cutter's work after their year away when surely he should have been wanting to concentrate on rebuilding his life in the modern world? Abby had found herself on a roller coaster as she tried to answer their questions as honestly as she could.

"Connor is extremely passionate about what he does; it was all he talked about when we were away. He wanted to understand the anomalies and find a way of stopping them so that there wouldn't be any more deaths. Burton fed on that passion and manipulated Connor into believing that the research he was doing was for good." Abby looked from one person the next, blinking back the tears prickling her eyes. They had to believe, like she did, that Connor was an innocent victim of a man who had picked up on his insecurities and a need to be liked by someone he considered to be a father figure. She hoped that was it; notes were being scribbled down and she was conscious of a video camera focussing straight on her face. Matt had told her that he could read if someone was being truthful or not from their facial expressions alone, and he would study video recordings for hours on end looking for the slightest signal that someone was not telling the truth. She suspected this video of her interview would come under the same intense scrutiny.

The questioning then turned to Matt and her relationship with him. Why didn't she tell anyone else what he'd told her? Why did she keep it all so secret, especially from a man she claimed to love?

"Because I trusted him."

"And you didn't trust your boyfriend enough to confide in him what you knew about Mr Anderson and the future world he was from?" The man on the left asked.

"Matt said it was important that we didn't let Burton know we were possibly on to him, and if Connor knew then he could put it all in jeopardy." Abby felt sick. The questions were hitting a raw nerve; there was a point when she did doubt Connor. He hadn't seemed that surprised when she told him what Danny Quinn had said about Burton's name being on documents that Helen Cutter had. That was why she was so reluctant to tell Connor everything.

"Why were you so willing to believe Mr Anderson; a man you barely knew, over Mr Temple whom you have known for five years – a year of which you have been intimate with him for?" the Minister said.

Abby couldn't answer. Her head was spinning. It sounded terrible when it was put like that, and it was no wonder Connor had been upset with her.

"Perhaps it was you that was manipulated, Miss Maitland?"

"What?" Abby blinked, her mouth opened.

"We have been through all of Mr Temple's files with a fine tooth comb and there is nothing to indicate that he was doing anything malicious. He was working on a project to harness the power of the anomalies to make a green power source as far as we can tell."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Abby said, exasperated. "That's what he believed he was doing all along; Burton was using him. Connor is innocent and you shouldn't be punishing him."

"In fact, it seems the only one talking about 'the end of the world as we know it' was Mr Anderson. Given that he lied his way into the ARC in the first place, we have to question his motives; and quite frankly some of the evidence we have leads us to wonder how reliable a witness you are."

"Pardon?" Abby wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

"I had Miss Parker pull up records from everyone's black boxes and Id tags. They show who accessed which areas, how long for and when they left. They make interesting reading, Miss Maitland." The Minister pushed his glasses up his nose and handed out sheets of paper to his two colleagues.

"It seems you and Mr Anderson spent a lot of time together," the man on the right said afrer a few minutes studying the paper.

"We did. We were trying to work out what Burton was doing." Abby felt her hackles rise; she knew where this was leading.

"And it also seems you spent the night at Mr Anderson's flat."

Abby felt her heart leap into her mouth; they were referring to the night she had had that huge row with Connor and she'd ended up at Matt's flat. He commented in the morning that she was still wearing her black box and laughed, suggesting that Jess would have a field day putting two and two together and making five. _Just tell them the truth, that's all that matters now._ Matt's words echoed around her head. They'd asked him the same thing.

"I don't know what you're implying by that, but yes – I did spend the night at Matt's, asleep on his sofa." Abby was trying to keep control of her emotions; losing her temper would not look good.

"I would imagine that Mr Temple was not very happy about that."

_Just tell them the truth._ "He was upset, yes. He'd already accused me of sleeping with Matt and me spending the night away didn't help."

"And did you? Are you in a relationship with Mr Anderson?" The Minister frowned, glaring at her over the rim of his glasses.

"I love Connor!" Abby spat, standing up. "And no, I did not sleep with Matt... and I don't see what this has to do with anything. The fact of the matter is, Matt came here to stop the world from being destroyed by someone interfering with the anomalies, and he succeeded. He did what he had to do, and without him we'd probably all be dead by now! Isn't that enough? Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Manipulation, Miss Maitland. Your relationship with Mr Temple was faltering and Mr Anderson saw an opportunity to get you on his side. He turns on the Irish charm, promises you..."

"It wasn't like that!" Abby yelled. "I don't know what you're trying to do to Matt here, but he's the hero not the villain."

"I think we've heard enough for today. Thank you for your time, Miss Maitland. If we need any more information from you, we'll be in touch." The Minister stood up and held out his hand to shake hers. Abby ignored it and turned on her heels. As the door closed behind her, the tears fell down her cheeks.

-o-

"Abby?" Connor's voice broke into Abby's thoughts. "I asked how the hearing went?"

"Sorry, I was miles away." She linked her fingers into Connor's, relieved that she could actually do so now. The doctor's had removed the bulk of his bandages to allow him a little more independence. He'd begged Abby to bring him his laptop because he felt lost without it, but she'd had to explain that it had been taken by the Minister as part of the investigation.

"You've been quiet since you came back. Was it bad?" He squeezed her hand.

"They dug a bit deeper than I was expecting, that's all. If it's any consolation, I think you'll be OK. They said they couldn't find any evidence of you doing something you shouldn't." She stroked his hair tenderly and he smiled.

"Are you in trouble for not telling anyone about Matt's secret?"

"Possibly. I don't care about that right now; I'm more worried about Matt. I think they're trying to get rid of him."

"That's crazy!" Connor said. "He saved us from Burton – surely they can see that?"

"I know. I think they're embarrassed at the whole thing – they were the ones that agreed to the partnership with Prospero without realising Burton's connection to Helen Cutter, and they were the ones that employed Matt when he had false identification. With Burton gone, Matt's the scape goat. They have to be seen to be 'putting things right' and they're looking for every excuse."

Connor shook his head. "They won't find anything on him."

"They're trying. I can't defend him because they're making me out to be an unreliable witness." Abby turned away from his gaze. "They had Jess download all the black box data and they... they know I spent the night at his flat. No matter what I say, they want to believe that there's something going on between Matt and I... I thought you should know that."

Connor pulled Abby against his chest and she sank into his embrace. "You said nothing happened that night, and I trust you."

"Do you? After everything that's happened?" Abby looked up into his eyes. She knew he loved her, and the way he was looking at her made her heart race.

"We have to start somewhere, don't we? We've lost so much since we got involved with the anomalies – I can't lose you too! It would mean Burton wins if we don't at least try to go back to what we had." Connor pulled the sheet over Abby and slid his hand under her shirt, his fingertips brushing the underside of her breasts.

"Connor!" Abby giggled. "Not here!" Her body tingled; it felt so good to be close to Connor again.

"I just want to show you that I still... you know..."

"I do yes. Me too." Abby pressed her lips against his and lost herself in the warmth and safety of his kiss. Maybe things could be OK again...


End file.
